Cow-tail holder.



PATENIED JAN. 3, 1905.

M. W. HYENGA.

COW TAIL HOLDER.

APPLIUATION FILED 11211. 11,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 778,864. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905. M. W. HYENGA.

00W TAIL HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 11,1904.

Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT QEErcE.

MARTIN W. HYENGA, OF BANGOR, MICHIGAN.

COW-TAIL HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,864, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed April 11, 1904. Serial No. 202,698.

T0 at whom. it may concern..-

Be it known that I, MARTIN W. HYENGA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bangor, in the county of Van Burenand State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cow-Tail Holders, of which the following is a specification.

In milking cows the constant swishing of the animals tail, particularly in the summer season when flies are disturbing her, is the source of no small amount of annoyance and chagrin to the milker, who, sitting adjacent, often receives the full impact of a blow in the face in the movement of the tail as aforesaid.

It is therefore the object of my invention to provide attaching means in the form of peculiar clamp devices which are designed to be secured to the animals body and also to the tail and which effectively limit the movement of the tail, so as to obviate the difi iculty and inconvenience arising from the swishing of this member, as hereinbefore described.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference isto be had to the following description and'accompanying drawings.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are susceptible of modification. still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View showing the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the clamp devices. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the attaching device alone. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the clamp members.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

My holder comprises two clamp devices of somewhat similar form, one of which is adapted to be secured to the body of the animal and the other to the tail, as has been premised before, said devices being connected together by a flexible connection of suitable form which constitutes the means for limiting the tail movement.

As shown in the drawings, each clamp device consists of clamp members A and B, which in the preferred contemplation of the invention are of similar form, being pivotally secured together when the parts of the device are assembled. In order to simplify and reduce the cost of manufacture of the invention to a minimum, it is preferred to make the clamp members of skeleton form out of stout wire of suitable gage, to lend the necessary strength and rigidity requisite to a device of the class to which my invention relates. Since each of the members A and B are substantially the same in form, one only will be described. In constructing the clamp members a single length of wire is taken and bent about intermediate its ends to form upper and lower arms 1 and 2, respectively. These arms are bent into coils 3 between the end portions thereof, which coils constitute journal members receiving a journal-pin 4, which latter constitutes a pivotal connection between the clamp members A and B. The outer ends of the arms 1 and 2 are curved, so as to constitute jaws 5, and the inner ends of the arms are connected by looping the extremities thereof together, as shown at 6, said inner ends forming handles 7, adapted to be grasped in manipulating the clamp devices. A coilspring 8 is mounted upon the journal-pin 4 between the journal members 3 of the clamp members A and B of each of the clamp devices, and this coil-spring 8 has its ends 9 extended outwardly and engaged with the bandles 7, as shown at 10. The spring 8 tends to normally hold the jaws 5 of the clamp device closed under suflicient tension to give a positive clamping action to these members.

The constructions of the clamp devices are substantially the same except in the form of the jaws 5 thereof. The clamp which is to be secured to the animals body is provided with curved jaws, which are adapted to engage the hamstring of one of the rear legs of the cow at a point just above the gamblejoint. The jaws of the other clamp member,

or that which holds the tail, are of somewhat dilferent form, one of the said jaws being provided with a recessed or deflected portion 12 to receive a hook member 13, carried by the cooperating jaw. The tail of the animal is clamped between the jaws of the clamp device just above described, and the flexible connection 15 is of a suitable length to admit of a slight movement of the tail, so as to permit the cow to drive the flies from her legs, such movement, however, not being suflicient to cause any annoyance to the one milking. The flexible connection 15 may be secured to the clamp devices of the holder in any suitable manner, the ends of this connection being attached, preferably, to the springs 8, as shown most clearly in the drawings. In order to prevent displacement of the spring 8 and clamp members A and B from the pivot-pin 4:, the latter is provided at its end with plates 11 or any similar projecting parts, which form stops, securing the parts of the device in their proper position.

The form of the attaching devices which constitute my invention are comparatively simple and are adapted to be readily operated, so as to apply the same to the animal previous to milking, and after the milking operation the attachment may be quickly removed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a holder of the class described, the combination of clamp devices, a flexible connection between said devices, each of the clamp 2. In a holder of the class described, the

combination of clamp devices, a flexible connection between said devices. each of the clamp devices comprising a journal-pin, clamp members pivoted to the journal-pin, each of said clamp members comprising a single length of wire bent about between its ends to form upper and lower arms, the outer ends of said arms forming jaws, said arms being coiled between their ends to form journal members receiving the journal-pin, the inner ends of the arms being connected together to form a handle, and a coil-spring mounted upon the journal-pin between the journal members of the respective clamp members and having its ends projected into engagement with the end portions of the handles of said clamp members.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in 

